Cut-sized paper, such as conventional photocopy paper, typically is wrapped in reams each containing, for example, 500 sheets. It is common for a plurality of reams to be bundled together and packaged in a corrugated container for shipping, storage and handling. For example, it is common to package from five to ten reams of paper in a single container, with a lid secured over the container to keep the reams from falling out of the container during shipping and handling. Since a single ream of paper weighs about five pounds, packages containing from five to ten reams of paper are heavy and difficult to handle. Moreover, they are relatively large and require substantial storage space. Further, the reams of paper are closely surrounded by the container walls, and the lack of space between the reams of paper and the container walls makes it difficult to remove the reams of paper for use. Additionally, each ream must be individually opened to gain access to the paper, and the ream wrap disposed of.
Single wrapped reams of paper also are commonly sold, and although these packages are easy to handle and store, they do not protect the paper from physical damage. Further, most equipment used in the home or in small offices does not hold a full ream of paper. Consequently, after a ream is opened and the desired amount of paper removed, the remaining unused paper is unprotected.
Many home and small office users prefer to purchase several reams of paper at once, rather than to buy single reams more frequently, but prefer not to buy as many as ten reams at once. Packages have been developed that hold five reams of paper, but even these packages are heavy, and, as such, are more suitable for industrial and commercial purchasers, which typically will have material handling equipment such as power lifts and hand carts to handle such heavy items. Average home users who wish to purchase several reams of paper at once typically do not have access to such material handling equipment.
Unwrapped cut sheets of paper are sometimes packaged loose in cartons designed to closely fit the paper and protect it from damage. Unwrapped cut sheets of paper do not require removal and discarding of ream wrap, but conventional cartons of this type generally are also sized to hold from five to ten reams of paper and thus are relatively difficult to handle and store. Moreover, these cartons generally have either a removable lid or foldable flaps to close the top of the carton, and the lid is removed or the flaps opened to form an open top through which product is removed from the carton. With such packaging it is difficult to remove the contents without damaging the carton or inverting it to pour the contents out because of the lack of space to insert the hands of the user between the side walls of the carton and the paper stored therein.
It is common practice to provide a tear strip in the corrugated container described hereinabove. In use, the tear-strip is gripped at one end thereof and pulled to tear it from a panel of a corrugated container. In many cases, removal of the tear-strip permits the corrugated container to hinge open. In others, more than one tear-strip may be used to provide for removal of a portion of a container. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,422,454; 3,863,834; 7,140,493; 5,487,506; 3,831,834; 3,712,531 & U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0051573; 2004/0232039, 2003/0234284, 2003/0116613, 2002/0166889. In general, the tear-strip comprises a pair of perforation lines running lengthwise or across a panel. The tear-strip has a tab at one end which is gripped by a user and pulled in an upward and forward direction to remove the tear-strip from the panel. Generally, when a user opens a container or carton or box having a tear-strip, occasionally, the tear-strip breaks and results an unattractive carton which is a problem if the end user intends on re-using the carton or keeping it around. Often a tear starts on the outer layer of the paperboard, and will tear at an angle all the way across the container or carton.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a container or carton having a tear strip that overcome the aforementioned problem described hereinabove and to provide an aesthetically pleasing container or carton that removal of the tear-strip permits the corrugated container to hinge open.
It is also desirable to provide a carton for shipping and storing sheets of paper, such as photocopy paper or the like, which not only is smaller and lighter in weight than conventional multi-ream containers and accordingly is easier to handle and store, but which also protects the paper against physical damage from the environment.
It is also desirable to provide a carton that enables the sheets of paper to be easily and quickly unloaded from the carton, wherein the carton is adapted to remain sealed during shipping, handling and storing operations without the need to utilize ancillary securing devices such as straps and the like, and wherein the carton may be reclosed after opening.
In addition, it is desirable to provide an apparatus, such as a carry handle or the like, associated with the carton to facilitate handling thereof. A combination of a smaller multi-ream container together with a carry handle, for example, is ideally suited for retail sales to home users.